Economics

College Football Is a Money Pit, and One School Has Had Enough

Florida school ditched sport this week; will others follow?
Almost 100% of FCS teams lose money, yet numbers are growing

The Jacksonville Dolphins compete against the Dartmouth Big Green in Jacksonville, Florida on Sept. 21. Photographer: Mike Janes/Four Seam Images via AP

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By Eben Novy-Williams

December 5, 2019 at 10:00 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Jacksonville University surprised athletes, alumni and fans this week when it announced it was discontinuing its Division I football team, which had been competing for more than two decades.

Administrators at the Florida school say the decision was financial. Operating a football team is expensive, and only getting pricier. More importantly, the investment wasn’t worth the benefits that are typically held up to justify the money-losing endeavor.